


A Day in the Life of Leo De La Iglesia

by AllegroCrescendo



Series: Fast Times at Angeles High [8]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Background Relationships, Domestic Violence, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Foreshadowing, Guang-Hong is a theater nerd, Leo is a skater, M/M, Relationship Problems, day to day life, stubborn Leo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-13
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2019-02-01 23:30:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12715053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllegroCrescendo/pseuds/AllegroCrescendo
Summary: Leo de La Iglesia has a boyfriend, 7 loving siblings, and a slightly unusual life.____“Y’know, Leo, I think I know why Guang-Hong tries buying you stuff.” He stopped to wait if his brother would say anything before continuing. “You know my friend, Nathaniel? Well,el eslike, Chinese. And he, like, says his family isn’t really physically affectionate,” Jaime turned his head back every so often to make sure his brother was listening.“Your point?” Leo asked, trying not to sound bitter.“I know that like, after coming to America, Guang-Hong and his family have been Western-ized. But a small part of China still lives in them. I think Guang-Hong buying you small things is his way of saying that, like,te ama, y’know?” Jaime said.





	A Day in the Life of Leo De La Iglesia

**Author's Note:**

> Hellohellohello,
> 
> Allegro here!
> 
> I promised you a Leo de la Iglesia piece after "Rise Up (Still Breathing)" and here it is, although later than promised!
> 
>  **TRIGGER WARNING**  
>  There is a scene that has _**domestic abuse.**_ It isn't pretty but I had to write it. Like I said, this series is heavily influenced by my personal life and experiences, and I feel that as a Mexican woman, Leo is the easiest character to relate myself with. I have a lot of headcanons for Leo and I just love him and I hope we get to see more of him in the movie. 
> 
> Have a translator ready. I went crazy with Spanish. Sorryyyy.
> 
> I can't think of what else to include in this besides keeping an eye out for foreshadowing in this piece for storylines to other pieces.

_BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP_

Ugh….

_BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP_

Seriously? Right now?

_BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEEP_

“Okay! Fine!” Leo shouted, slamming down on his alarm clock’s snooze button and sitting up in his bed. 

His sudden outburst had not woken his two younger siblings, Jaime and Javier, who slept in the same room as him. He glanced over at the bunk beds, where the two youngest boys were still sound asleep. He sighed and lugged himself out of bed, moving to get ready for the day. He decided to let Jaime sleep in for a couple more minutes. The alarm clock’s green light displayed the time. It was a little past five when Leo was up and running, getting dressed for the day. In the other room, he could hear his mother and father, getting ready for the day as well. Leo rubbed his face tiredly. 

Leo trudged over to his shared dresser and started to pull clothes out. He dressed quickly in work pants and a button up. A woven name tag on his chest bore the name of an old worker. He tucked the shirt into his pants, begrudgingly getting ready for the day. He slipped on an old pair of running shoes and went to wake Jaime who was asleep on the bottom bunk. He crouched next to the bed and shook him lightly.

“ _Oye,_ Jaime. Come on get up,” Leo coaxed him.

His younger brother turned onto his side and sighed heavily. “Already?” 

Leo smiled apologetically and nodded, “ _Andale_ , up and at ‘em. Get dressed and I’ll make some breakfast.” 

“Three eggs. I’m a growing boy,” Jaime joked. Leo ruffled his hair and stood.

He waited to make sure Jaime actually got out of bed before he left the room to the kitchen. His mother was already there, taking some pans out of the oven. Leo took out some corn oil and the carton of eggs. He and his mother fell into comfortable silence, making breakfast for the younger kids. Leo fondly remembered when his older sister, Esmeralda, would be the one to cook breakfast for everyone. That was before she married and moved away. Out of his seven siblings, only 4 remained at home, himself included. 

“Did you sleep well, _mijo_?” His mother asked, moving throughout the kitchen. 

“Yeah,” Leo affirmed. He usually came home, did his homework, and then slept like the dead. His heavy schedule in life was very taxing and drained his energy, but it was well worth it. 

“Have you made up your mind about Junior?” His mother asked, cutting up potatoes into cubes. “He asked specifically for you.”

A bitter taste seeped into Leo’s mouth as he put away the oil and started to take out plates. He was quiet for a moment. “I’m still thinking.”

His mother stopped cutting the potatoes, staring down at the board. Leo couldn’t look at her. He couldn’t bear the look of anguish that surely crossed her face whenever the topic was brought up. It twisted his stomach in a sickening way and made him want to crawl into a hole, away from all the pain that reigned over his home. 

“Leo, please. We had all the paperwork approved,” his mother begged, “It’s just a matter of you going, _chiquitito_.”

“I’ll think of it more _ama_ , I promise.” Leo said strongly and effectively ended their conversation. This time, a tense silence fell over the two. Only the sound of the oil popping in the pan filled the room. 

Minutes later, his mom began to cook their breakfast of _chorizo con papas_ and some eggs while Leo set the table. His father emerged from Leo’s mother and his room, dressed in a white undershirt with a flannel over it and a simple pair of jeans. He dropped his work boots in the corner of the kitchen and sat at the table. Leo’s mother instantly set a cup of coffee in front of him and gave him a quick kiss, murmuring “ _Buenos Dias_ ”. 

Jaime came next, dressed similarly to Leo. Leo’s heart always ached at the sight. A fourteen-year-old shouldn’t be living like this. Leo had been working since he was 11 in hopes that his siblings never would, but his family simply needed the extra money to put his sister Athziri through school. Jaime had no other choice than to ask for a job with Leo’s employer. Leo worked twice as much in an attempt to make sure his younger brother didn’t strain himself. Plus, he didn’t mind the physical labor half as much. It was a good workout for him and it kept him in shape between seasons.

“ _Buenas_ ,” Jaime mumbled tiredly and sat down at the table. Their mother swept in with a cup of orange juice and a kiss to Jaime’s forehead. The 14-year-old grumbled and wiped it off when his mother’s back was turned. This earned a hard glare from his father. Leo winced. He knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of that glare. It was not a good feeling. 

Leo’s mother set down a plate in front of Jaime and his father before she looked up at her son expectantly. “Burritos again, today?”

Leo nodded. “But no aluminum foil today. _La panadera_ and I almost exploded her microwave.”

“You take what you get, Leo,” His father grumbled into his coffee mug. When he set the mug down, Leo saw that some coffee had wet his greying mustache.

“Jose Angel,” his mother coaxed and settled her hands on his shoulders. His father sighed, sat back, and patted his wife’s hands. “He’s being courteous like we taught him. It would be rude to blow up a borrowed microwave.”

Jose Angel heaved a sigh and shook his head. He muttered something under his breath about the old country but Leo didn’t stick around to listen. He slipped away to his room and located his duffle bag to pack his things for the day. He put in first his speedo and towel with a bottle of sunscreen before he went to his closet to look for an outfit for the day. He picked out a simple pair of black pants, a t-shirt with the “Arctic Monkeys” logo on it. Leo pulled out his phone and checked the weather. Fall was in full swing and much of Southern California’s normal heat abandoned it. Once he saw the forecast, he threw in a hoodie and his favorite jean vest. After zipping it up, he threw his backpack on, slipped his duffle onto his shoulder and grabbed his skateboard. Leo felt sufficiently armed for the day.

Just as he was going to leave the room, a small noise caught his attention. He looked up at the top bunk and sighed. He carefully set his things down to not make any more noise and climbed the top bunk. Peering over the edge, he was Javier rubbing his eyes. It was too early for the five-year-old to be awake. 

“What time is it?” Javier whined and sat up, only to be stopped by his older brother who eased him down with a hand to the shoulder.

“Too early for you, Javi,” Leo murmured. He tucked his little brother back into bed and made the sign of the cross over him. Javi whined a bit more before he shifted to lay on his side in a fetal position.

“Tell Guang-Hong hi for me today, okay?” Javi mumbled in his half-awake state. Leo smiled. He knew how fond of his boyfriend his youngest brother was.

“I’ll do it. Be good at school today. No more painting on walls, okay?” Leo said. When he heard a small ‘Mhm’, Leo climbed down from the bunk ladder and collected his stuff. He paused and also grabbed Jaime’s school bag on the way out. His younger brother always packed his stuff the day before. 

“Come on, bro, the trucks gonna stop by any minute.” Leo motioned to Jaime and the younger shoved what he could of his breakfast into his mouth before standing abruptly. His mother hurried over and handed Leo his breakfast burritos, wrapped in paper towels and in a Ziploc bag. He put it inside of his duffle bag before taking his mother’s shoulders in his hand and kissing her cheek. His mother returned his kiss on his forehead, Leo had to lean down since he was several inches taller than her before he released him.

She kissed Jaime goodbye after Leo and hugged him tightly. Jaime patted his mother’s back and wiggled his way out of the hug. He took his backpack from Leo and slung it over his shoulders. The two stopped to look at their father, who was placidly drinking his coffee at the head of the table.

“ _Adios, apa._ ” Leo waved. His father only bowed his head in acknowledgment before the brothers turned and jogged out of the house. As if on cue, a truck pulled up into the driveway of their home. The rusted, red truck had the gardening logo on its side and Leo had grown fond of it in a strange way. His boss was very kind to him and always gave Jaime rides to school. He also tried to give Leo a ride to school but Leo thought that it would be asking too much of him. So he skated his way to school.

The sunrise was barely breaking over the horizon as Leo and Jaime tossed their school bags into the trunk of the car and climbed into the front seats with their boss, Francisco. They climbed in, Jaime in the middle and Leo following. Francisco greeted them both with a quick ‘hello’ before he drove off, heading to their houses for the days. Vicente Fernandez played softly on the radio and Leo rolled down the window, leaning his head out of the car. The clock on Francisco’s radio said it was 5:45. If he was lucky, he could finish his share of lawns in an hour or so and have time to make it to school before first period to see Guang-Hong.

He sighed and stuck his hand out the window, letting it hang as they drove to their houses for the day. Afterwards, he would stop by the usual bakery to heat up his breakfast and eat his burritos as he skated to school. Hopefully, he would be on time. He didn’t need anymore Saturday detentions from his first-period teacher.

__________

Leo sat in the locker room. His hair was damp from using the school showers to wash off his sweat he worked up as he worked. Luckily, the school left the locker room open for the water polo players who came to practice at 6 am. Leo, while being apart of the team, was excused from early morning practices. That just meant he had to work twice as hard in the goal during after school practice. He could cope.

The Chicano teen quickly dressed in his outfit for the day. He checked the time on his phone. 7:20. It had taken him a couple of minutes to skate to the bakery where he heated up his food every day. He also bought a small treat for Guang-Hong, knowing his boyfriend’s sweet tooth was nearly insatiable. He didn’t mind it though. The baker was sweet to him and she always gave him discounts or free treats whenever she could. In exchange, Leo would come in on Sundays and clean the ovens and kitchen thoroughly for her. 

He was lacing up his shoes when a ping from his cell phone caught his attention.

_Incoming message from: Baby Bear_

> Where are you? **cam.101317.frontimg**

Leo smiled at the accompanying selfie. Guang-Hong was seated at the usual table where the proclaimed “Skate Squad” (he blamed Phichit for such an atrociously cliche name) gathered. He was, as always, the first there and was resting his chin on his folded arms. Guang-Hong pouted miserably but Leo knew it was all an act and an excuse to send a selfie. Guang-Hong was nothing if not a supportive and understanding boyfriend. It made him glad to have someone as sweet as him at his side.

_Incoming message from: Darling <3 _

> Getting dressed. Be there in a sec. You look very cute by the way. I can’t believe I’m dating an actual angel <3 <3 <3 

Leo hurried to finish lacing up his shoes and neatly put every back into his duffle bag. He grabbed all his school materials and dropped his board on the floor. He pushed off and rode to the quad to meet Guang-Hong. Not many teachers were present on campus in the early morning so that gave him enough time to greet Guang-Hong and then go hide his board in the Water Polo’s team room. He was always annoyed by the school’s strict rules on skateboards but complied anyway.

Turning a corner, Leo pushed off again and made a beeline straight to their usual table. True to the selfie, Guang-Hong was sitting with his chin on his crossed arms. He knew he usually had to take a public bus to the nearest stop and then walk the rest of the way to school. His parents were up early and too busy with work at the restaurant to take him to school. That meant Guang-Hong had to get to school almost an hour early because of the bus schedule. It didn’t help that their school wasn’t on the normal bus route.

“Hey, baby,” Leo slid into the bench next to Guang-Hong, who perked at the sound of his voice. He shrugged off his backpack and duffle bag, putting them on the floor next to his board. He then wrapped his arms around Guang-Hong’s waist.

Guang-Hong giggled and reached back to tangle his hand in Leo’s hair. “Hello, darling. Good day at work?”

Leo shrugged. “Like always. Not too bad. I did almost lose my finger to a shear though. Oh! Here, I got you these,” Leo said, reaching into his duffle bag to pull out a bag of _empanadas_. “They’re filled with _cajeta_.”

“Leo,” Guang-Hong said and began to pout, although Leo could see how much he wanted it by the way his eyes glimmered. “You need to stop spending your money on me. You know your family needs that.”

“You know my method, baby bear,” the taller teen shrugged, “Give most and keep a small some for myself. I choose to spend what I keep on you. Now take the _empanadas_.”

Guang-Hong sighed and took the bag. He took out one of the baked treats from the bag and bit into it, instantly melting when the creamy flavor of the filling spilled into his mouth. God, Mexicans really knew how to cook. “I love these so much. But what was that other thing? The rice?”

“ _Arroz con leche?_ ” Leo asked, raising a brow. Guang-Hong nodded and sighed, taking another bite of his bread.

“That’s my favorite thing of all. It’s almost as sweet as you.” Guang-Hong gushed at Leo, making the darker boy laugh and pinch his cheeks.

“Hey, guys!” Emil chirped as he plopped down on the bench opposite of them. He put a steaming cup of coffee on the table in front of him and planted his board on the ground in front of him.

“Emil,” Guang-Hong brightened at the sight of their friend. “Hi! Do you want an epmaalgo?”

“ _Empanada_.” Leo corrected.

“Oh no thanks, Guang. I just had some donut holes.” Emil waved his hand and motioned to the coffee cup with a jerk of his chin. It was from the donut shop down the street from the school.

Guang-Hong shrugged and finished the last bite of his _empanada_ , suckling the _cajeta_ off his fingers. “They’re really good.”

“Mexican food always is. I love Chipotle,” Emil mused. 

“Chipotle is _not_ Mexican food.” Leo made a face.

“You think all white people food is hamburger and hot dogs,” Emil pointed out.

Leo laughed brightly and accidentally squeezed Guang-Hong too tight because he made a small wheezing noise. “That’s all I ever eat at your house!”

“Well excuse me you always come over on Hot Dog Thursdays,” Emil pouted and crossed his arms.

“I’m just playin’ man!” Leo held his hands up in surrender. 

Emil suddenly looked behind Leo. He dropped his backpack on top of his board and kicked Leo’s duffle bag to partially hide Leo’s. “Five-o right behind you.” 

Leo nodded and kicked his backpack closer to his duffle bag, completely hiding his board from view now. Leo turned his head to where Emil was looking. Just as he said, a campus resource officer was walking around the quad, stopping to talk to students. Leo and Emil looked at each other and held eye contact. Once the resource officer’s back was turned, Leo opened his duffle and took out his clothes. Emil turned his board onto its wheels and slipped it to Leo. Leo quickly put it inside his duffle bag onto his side and slid his own board next to it. He put all his clothes back in and hung his towel over the tail end of the board that stuck out of the bag. The boys smiled knowingly. 

“I’ll stash it in the auto-tech room. Mr. Blanco doesn’t really care,” Emil suggested. Leo nodded and pushed his duffle bag towards Emil. He snatched it up and slung it over his shoulder. 

“Be right back!” Emil chirped and stood, walking off towards the Auto-tech building.

Guang-Hong and Leo were left alone and the Chicano sighed and rested his head against his boyfriend’s shoulder. “I’m so tired,” Leo whined.

“Drink some coffee?” Guang-Hong moved an arm to wrap around Leo’s head and motioned towards Emil steaming cup.

“You know I hate coffee,” Leo grumbled and nudged his head further into Guang-Hong’s shoulder. Guang-Hong only shook his head. 

“Then I’m bringing you tea tomorrow. Tea has caffeine,” Guang-Hong said.

“No,” Leo argued.

“Why not?” Guang-Hong wiggled away from Leo and frowned at him. Leo sighed. Most of their arguments stemmed from the same reason.

“Because you drink really fancy tea imported from China and I don’t want to drink that because it costs a lot of money,” Leo looked away from Guang-Hong. He knew the exact, desperate look that would cross his face. 

Leo felt Guang-Hong take his hands, “Leo, that tea is bought from the Walmart of China and shipped to us by my aunt. It’s nothing special.” He held Leo’s hands tighter when he tried to pull them away and tilted Leo’s head so he would look at him. “Please, Leo. You worry me a lot with the way you work. You never let yourself take a break. Let me do this for you. Please. That would be enough.”

“Guang-Hong,” Leo’s voice was serious. “You know how I feel about taking stuff from other people. It doesn’t feel right.”

The Chinese boy’s face soured. “Then stop buying me all those sweets. If you don’t take what I give you, I won’t take what you give me.” As if to make a point, he took the _empanadas_ in the bag and shoved them in front of him. 

“Guang…” Leo’s face fell.

“Let me help you,” Guang-Hong begged. “Please.”

Leo sighed and shook his head. He looked away from his boyfriend but squeezed his hands tightly so he knew that he wasn’t mad at him. Truth be told, He was simply raised to never take over-generous gifts. Whenever he would come home with some shiny new toy Phichit or Yuuri’s family gave him, his father would glare at him and demand he return it. Leo, being young and not understanding, would cry and beg to keep it. He saw now that it cost a lot of money. Money that he could never reciprocate. 

“I don’t know.” Leo whispered.

“Are we having a lover’s quarrel?” Phichit asked as he plopped down onto one of the benches. Yuuri sat next to him.

“Stay out of it,” Yuuri warned Phichit and flicked his forehead. This elicited a whine from the tan-skinned boy, who rubbed his forehead and pouted. “Sorry, we took so long. We had to stash our boards in Mr. Cialdini’s room since Mr. Mooroka wasn’t in his classroom yet.”

“No Viktor today?” Leo asked, desperate to change the conversation.

Yuuri rolled his eyes but the blush on his cheeks was unmistakable. “We’re not conjoined at the ass, you know?” He brushed his fringe. His hair had grown longer, but then again, Yuuri had a habit of keeping his hair a tad bit longer in the colder seasons. “He just got his car back from the shop because of Yuri, his cousin, crashed it. So he’s applying for a parking permit in the front office.”

“So if has a car, that means we get free rides, right?” Phichit chimed in after taking a couple of pictures of the group of friends to post on his snapchat. 

“God, you’re such a freeloader,” Yuuri shoved Phichit playfully.

“Am _not_ a freeloader!” Phichit pressed a hand to his chest and looked scandalized. “I give him something in return?”

“And what’s that?” Leo asked with an amused smile. 

“I give him permission to date my Yuuri!” Phichit chirped.

Yuuri shoved him so hard, he went flying from the seat and hit the ground. “Yuuri!” He whined and rubbed his elbow. “That hurt!”

“Hey, what happened?” Emil asked, returning back from the auto-tech room and helping Phichit up.

“Phichit is being obnoxious as always,” Guang-Hong joked and leaned against Leo. Leo laughed and slipped a hand around his boyfriend’s waist.

“Guang-Hong, what happened to the cute boy solidarity?” Phichit asked, pouting that he was being picked on. 

Leo snorted and smiled. He thought if he had a group of friends like this. He could make it through the day.

__________

“How about we go get ice cream at _La Michoacana_?” Leo asked his siblings. Javier and Jaime both sat on the floor of the living room, watching their favorite TV show while Adrianna read a book on the couch. He had just gotten home from water polo practice and took a shower to wash the chlorine off. He didn’t get much homework today and thought his siblings could use the time outside of the house.

“Is this just an excuse so you can go see your boyfriend?” Jaime asked, not moving his eyes from the TV.

“You do get ice cream out of it,” Leo tried to coax his siblings.

“Let’s go! I wanna see Guang-Hong!” Javier lept up and ran to the room to get his shoes. Jaime sighed and stood, following behind him.

“Do you want to go?” Leo asked Adrianna. 

“I guess. I’m almost done with this chapter. It’ll be nice to rest my eyes.” She said, putting her bookmark in place and setting the book down on the table. “ _Pero le dijistes a_ mom?” Adrianna asked.

“I’ll send her a text. How long ago did she leave to work?” Leo asked. His mother worked left for work in a factory while the kids were at school and didn’t come home till late night.”

“I dunno,” Adrianna said. “ _Como_ like an hour ago.”

Leo shook his head, “I don’t wanna bug her. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” 

Adrianna sighed and nodded. She left the room to where she shared with their parents to put on her own shoes. While they were busy, Leo grabbed an empty backpack and started to pack it with things they would need for their trip. Surely Javier would ask for water. And then they would need the bike locks to lock up their bikes in the racks in front of the restaurant. He threw his wallet in there, for safe keeping, and zipped it all up. He slung it over his shoulders and looked up to see Javier and Jaime re-enter with their shoes.

“Do I get to ride on Jaime’s bike pegs again?” Javier asked, bouncing in place.

“Depends. It’ll be faster if you sat on the top tube,” Leo reasoned. Javier contemplated this, running his hand through his curls. 

“Okay, I’m ready,” Adrianna announced as she reappeared with her _chanclas_. Together, the siblings walked to the backyard where Jaime and Adrianna retrieved their bikes and a helmet for Javier. The littlest de la Iglesia pouted but eventually conceded to Leo’s coaxing. 

Together, they all rode down to the restaurant Guang-Hong’s family ran. Leo made sure to stay behind his three siblings on his board to watch out for them. They rode in the opposite direction of the cars, Leo every so often glaring at a car that suddenly pulled over. Adrianna rode in between Leo and Jaime and Javier, where he could keep an eye on her. The entire way, Javier (perched proudly on Jaime’s bike pegs and gripping his brother’s shoulders) pointed out several things: the cars, the animals, and all the different stores. 

Once they reached the all familiar restaurant, the quickly locked up their bikes inside and wandered in. Guang-Hong, who was waiting a table occupied by an older couple, noticed them with the chime of the bell and perked once he caught sight of his boyfriend. Hurrying to take their order, he ran back to the kitchen to deliver it, and reappeared in record time, running to the foyer.

“Hi guys!” Guang-Hong said, bending over to accept a hug from Javier. “What brings you here?”

“We came to get ice cream!” Javier excitedly answered. Guang-Hong smiled at him and looked up at Leo. 

“The ice cream place is next door,” He teased. “Should I get you directions?”

Leo shrugged. “When’s your 10? Come with us.”

“Uhm,” Guang-Hong pretended to think before untying his waist apron. He folded it neatly and stashed it in the cubby of the host’s podium. “Right about now.” Guang-Hong scurried back to the kitchen and Leo could hear him shouting in frantic Mandarin. He watched his mother appear from the kitchen, balancing plates of raw food on her forearms and in his hands. Guang-Hong appeared behind her, carrying a tray of drinks and smiled apologetically and Leo.

One the food was set down, Guang-Hong and his mother, Mei, approached Leo. Mei slapped Leo’s cheek affectionately, “I haven’t seen you in so long. You look fatter. You’ve been eating good, yes? Oh look, you brought everyone. Do you want to eat?”

“Mama,” Guang-Hong whined and smiled sympathetically at Leo, “You’re overwhelming with questions again.” 

“Ah,” Mei waved her hand at Guang-Hong. “ _Xiao-Guang_ , you butt in too much.”

Leo laughed and made all his siblings say hello to Guang-Hong’s mother. “I’m okay, _Ayi_. We’re all going to go get some ice cream and wanted Guang-Hong to come along.”

“Well, hurry back, _Xiao-Guang_. Dinner rush is almost over and only because I like _Xiao-Leo_ am I letting you go,” Mei pinched her son’s cheek. “Go.”

Guang-Hong thanked his mother profusely and hustled out the door with Leo and his siblings to the ice cream store next door. Leo noticed how Guang-Hong stood behind everyone and let them order first. When it was his turn, he offered Guang-Hong to let him go first. The Chinese boy only shook his head and let Leo go first. Nodding, he ordered himself the cookies and cream flavor. He stood off to the side and waiting with the rest of his siblings as Guang-Hong ordered his sherbet flavor. 

Guang-Hong then proceeded to pull out his wallet and tried to pay for the ice cream. Leo rushed forward and grabbed his arm. “Hey, I invited you. Let me pay.” Leo said.

“No, this’ll be my treat,” Guang-Hong insisted.

Leo sighed impatiently. He didn’t want to fight in front of his siblings and the ice cream worker looked increasingly uncomfortable. “We’re going to talk about this later. This isn’t okay.”

Guang-Hong’s face fell and nodded. Leo released his arm and let him pay reluctantly for their ice cream. The worker gave Guang-Hong his change before turning to scoop their ice cream. Leo stood, arms crossed, and a frown placed firmly on his lips. Guang-Hong chatted away with Javier about the latest cartoon he had watched with Jaime on TV (it was Dragon Ball Z and Leo could see the way Guang-Hong’s eye twitched in having to call such a classic anime a cartoon). Jaime would occasionally chime in to correct some things or fill in the blanks Javier had left. 

Once they all received their ice cream, they all went outside and stood in front of Guang-Hong’s parent’s restaurant. Guang-Hong and Leo held hands off to a corner while Javier dragged Adrianna and Jaime into a ridiculous game of walking tag (“because I don’t want my ice cream to fall!”). While they were distracted, Leo turned to Guang-Hong. “I’m still mad at you for paying.”

“I figured,” he mumbled, biting his ice cream and giving Leo the chills with how easily he did so. 

“I invited you so it was my treat,” Leo said. “You can spend your money on other stuff.” 

“Remember what you told me in the morning? You choose to spend your money on me. Well what if I choose to spend my money on you?” Guang-Hong asked.

“I’d say that’s the wrong thing to spend it on.” Leo grumbled.

“Is not.”

“Is too.”

“Is not.”

“Is too.”

“You guys are worse than some of the girls at my school,” Jaime called out as he sped-walk away from Javier, who was now cheating and just flat out running. 

“ _Te me callas, o te callo?_ ” Leo echoed his mother. Jaime only rolled his eyes and continued to play with Javier and Adrianna. 

“Leo,” Guang-Hong tugged on his hand. “You spend money on me with all those sweets. Don’t you think it’s fair that I get to spend money on you too?”

“That’s different. I usually get them for free or discounted,” Leo argued.

“And how do you do that? You clean her ovens. That’s still working for it.” Guang-Hong looked away. The permanent flush on his cheeks grew more prominent as he pouted childishly. “It’s not fair.”

“Leo, I got a text from mom saying that she’ll be home in 5. Should we go?” Jaime asked, holding his phone up for his brother to see.

“Sure,” Leo said and motioned for them to start unlocking their bikes. He tossed his skateboard lock key to Jaime for him to unlock. “We’ll talk about this later,” He told Guang-Hong, turning to him and grabbing his chin. “I still love you, no matter what, okay?”

Guang-Hong nodded and Leo placed a quick and small kiss on his lips, in fear of Guang-Hong’s father, Boyang, seeing. While both parents were okay with Leo and Guang-Hong’s relationship (the two have picked up more liberal views from the family’s time spent in San Francisco), Boyang was not fond of how physically affectionate Leo could be. 

After the two parted, Leo retrieved the locks from his brother and sister and put them in his backpack. Once Adrianna was on her bike and Javier and Jaime were on their bike, Leo and his siblings took off. The ride was spent in comfortable silence until Jaime called out in front of him. “Y’know, Leo, I think I know why Guang-Hong tries buying you stuff.” He stopped to wait if his brother would say anything before continuing. “You know my friend, Nathaniel? Well, _el es_ like, Chinese. And he, like, says his family isn’t really physically affectionate,” Jaime turned his head back every so often to make sure his brother was listening.

“Your point?” Leo asked, trying not to sound bitter.

“I know that like, after coming to America, Guang-Hong and his family have been Western-ized. But a small part of China still lives in them. I think Guang-Hong buying you small things is his way of saying that, like, _te ama_ , y’know?” Jaime said.

Leo could only nod as he contemplated his brother’s words. He pushed off his board and put his hand in his pockets, pulling out his phone. His lock screen itself was a picture of Guang-Hong in that embarrassing yellow dress he had to wear for the school production of ‘Hamilton’. Guang-Hong begged him not to set it as his lock screen but he couldn’t help it. It was so cute. Upon unlocking his phone, his background itself was a selfie of he and Guang-Hong together while on their annual date to the fair. Guang-Hong was grinning and showing off a giant cone of shaved ice that had been dyed many different colors. Leo loved the way Guang-Hong’s eyes sparkled in the picture. 

He thought about Guang-Hong. He used to be a very shy and quiet boy. He remembered when Yuuri, Phichit and he first met Guang-Hong back in elementary school. Guang-Hong was in the second grade, Leo and Phichit in the third grade, and Yuuri in the fourth grade. Guang-Hong, the bowl-cut sporting, soft-voiced child had moved from San Francisco. Originally born in China, his parents moved him here for better job opportunities. It had been difficult at first for Guang-Hong’s parents to become citizens, and with the promise of having the application streamlined if they moved to LA under a better job, the Ji family jumped at the opportunity. Guang-Hong’s family could sympathize with Leo’s family and his struggles. It had not been so easy for either of Leo’s parents to gain their citizenship, even to this day. 

The four had met on the playground when Phichit fell off the monkey bars and received a knee full of wood chips. Guang-Hong approached the trio with a water bottle and willingness to help carry Phichit to the nurse’s office once they pulled all the wood chips out and washed away the blood. After that, Guang-Hong became a part of their friend’s circle. When middle school hit, Leo, Phichit, and Yuuri all fell fond of skateboarding and gained another friend who loved to as well; Emil. This left Guang-Hong, who didn’t like skateboarding and instead preferred acting and painting, very isolated. Leo, who had barely realized his feelings for Guang-Hong, instantly reassured him that Skateboarding did not decide whether he was not any more or any less of their friend. It wasn’t until his freshman year did Leo have to courage to ask out Guang-Hong on a date to the fair where they shared their first kiss. 

“Leo, the house lights are all off,” Adrianna told him, snapping him out of his daydream when she caught sight of their house. 

“ _Ama_ should have been home a while ago,” Leo said to himself and checked his phone from any missed calls from his mother as they approached home. By now, all the lights would have been on and the house would have been alive with his mother’s music. Currently, it was uncharacteristically eerie, dark, and silent. 

As they approached the house, Leo could see through the living room window that only the kitchen light was on. The closer they got, they louder the yelling grew. Leo’s eyes widened when he realized what was going on. “Jaime, take care of Javier and Adrianna,” Leo yelled. He sprinted across their lawn, dropping everything in his hands. 

He entered the house to see his mother cowering against one of the kitchen walls, tears streaming down her face and screaming at his father. HIs father was screaming at her in return. They were arguing about monetary issues. Jose Angel wanted Milagros to stay home and take care of the children but knew that Leo’s older sister, Athziri, needed the financial support for college. It had placed a huge stress on his parents that simmered dangerously until it all came blowing over.

“ _Maldita vieja!_ ” Jose Angel screamed at Milagros. “That’s why I didn’t want her to go to college! _No le necesita!_ ”

Jose Angel shoved his wife out of the way and started to hit the wall in front of him. Leo’s eyes widened as he ran into the kitchen and grabbed his father’s arm. His father, in his rage, swung at Leo and struck his cheek. Leo gasped in pain as he stumbled back and gripped his cheek. His father, unfazed, grabbed Milagros’ ceramic figure of the Virgin Mary and threw it at the wall. The figure shattered upon impact and the shards flew everywhere. When Jose tried to hit the wall again, Leo intervened once more and let his father hit him. Leo could vaguely hear his mother screaming, begging for the two to stop. She screamed and prayed afterward but Leo ignored it. He ignored the pain as he wrestled his father down to the ground and let him hit him until he couldn’t hold him down any longer. 

He didn’t know exactly why, but his father stood and walked away. He said something to Leo but Leo couldn’t catch it. His cheek was aching, his ears were ringing and his mind was swirling with pain. He pressed himself to the ground and stared up at the ceiling. He was bleeding. He knew he was bleeding because the taste of blood seeped into his mouth. His lip. His father had busted his lip. Groaning, he pushed himself up, and with the help of his mother, made his way to the couch. Sitting, with a shaky breath, he caressed his crying mother’s cheek and told her not to cry. “Go console Javier and Adrianna,” Leo told his mother. She nodded in agreement, kissing his cheek before taking her leave.

“Leo,” Jaime ran in as his older brother eased himself onto the couch. Leo mustered up the brightest smile he could, even if it hurt his cheek. 

“I’m okay. Promise. Are you? What about Javier and Adrianna?” Leo asked. As if on cue, the duo ran in and straight to the kitchen. Javier had Leo’s phone in hand and appeared to be talking into it frantically.

Adrianna appeared seconds later with ice wrapped in paper towels and a solemn look on her face. Her red-rimmed eyes were a dead giveaway that she had been crying. The brunette hesitantly took a step towards him and offered him the ice. Taking it graciously, he kissed her cheek and pressed the bag of ice over where his father had struck him.

“Where is Javier?” Leo asked.

“He’s out on the porch,” Adrianna bit her lip. “Guang-Hong is on his way.” 

“What?!” Leo shouted and tried to sit. He winced at the pain in his head and let himself be eased back down onto the couch by Adrianna.

“Don’t fight this, Leo. Please. You already know _apa's_ temper. He’ll blow it all out soon if you leave him alone. Besides, he’ll be better if there’s guest over.” Adrianna sat on the arm of the couch and ran her fingers through her brother’s hair. She always commented on how jealous she was that he inherited their father’s light brown hair as opposed to she, who inherited their mother’s sleek, black hair. Leo didn’t like it much. It was just one more thing they had in common. He didn’t want to have much in common with him.

“Who called him?” Leo asked.

“Javier did. He picked up your phone when you dropped it running _y_ ….” Adrianna trailed off and shrugged. He noticed the tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Adri. I know you tried.” Leo consoled his little sister and rubbed her arm comfortingly. She nodded and gently hugged him. “I’m going to go wait for Guang-Hong outside.”

Leo nodded in agreement and laid on the couch with a hand covering his eyes. He balled his fists and grit his teeth as he felt tears stinging in the corners of his eyes. He hated crying. He wasn’t supposed to cry. He was supposed to be strong for everyone when he could because he had to protect them. He had to protect his mother. He had to protect Jaime, Adrianna, and Javier. He had to protect Guang-Hong. He had to protect his loved ones because he was the oldest son still in the house because Junior wasn’t around anymore because he had failed too. And yet it seemed that he failed because he could hear his mother crying with Javier in the kitchen. Because Jaime had locked himself in the room like he always does when he is upset and doesn’t come out of the room for a while. Because he was almost sure that Adrianna was crying on the porch. It was all bullshit. None of them deserved this pain. Especially because they were so young. Leo had failed to protect them.

The front door cracked open and Adrianna slipped in with Guang-Hong behind her. Guang-Hong had instantly spun around to face the door and closed it softly. He stood, staring at the door for a couple of seconds. Leo could see the way his shoulders rose and fell as he took deep breathes to try and calm himself. He was wearing a light sweater over his work pants and his apron was still strung around his waist. He must have rushed out of the restaurant the moment the phone call came in. Leo cursed under his breath.

Guang-Hong turned to face him. Even though they were feet apart, he’d never felt this far away from his boyfriend ever. Guang-Hong looked on the verge of tears and a cocktail of emotions swum in his hazel eyes: fear, sadness, relief. His eyes were also glossed over with unshed tears. 

“Hi,” Guang-Hong whispered, afraid to break the heavy silence pregnant with anticipation. He closed the space between them as he made his way to Leo. “I’m sorry I took so long. I was running over when Viktor passed by in his car. He gave me a ride the rest of the way.”

Leo nodded. “I’ll thank him later.” 

Guang-Hong frowned. “I already did. Leo...what...happened?” He struggled with his words. “You’re worrying about thanking the guy who gave me a ride here but,” Guang-Hong’s fingers ghosted over the swelling areas of his face, where his father had beaten him. “You can’t worry about me when you’re like this.” 

Leo grabbed Guang-Hong’s hand and sighed, “It’s find, babybear. I just...I’ll be fine. I hate to have troubled you.”

“Your lip is bleeding!” Guang-Hong shouted at him incredulously. He looked hysterical now. “Leo, how can you tell me you’re going to be fine? Let me worry about you. Let me take care of you.” He begged.

“I don’t want to burden you,” Leo murmured as he took Guang-Hong’s hand and laid their intertwined hands on his stomach.

“Leo,” Guang-Hong scoffed, palming away the tears that formed in his eyes, “Are you serious? Leo, you could never burden me. You’re my boyfriend for Goodness’ sake! I chose to be with you. I could have easily said no a year ago but I said yes because I want you in every way, shape, and form. In every state and every condition. You don’t have to protect me. You don’t have to worry about me all the time like I’m some kind of baby. I can take care of myself.” Guang-Hong knelt in front of Leo and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. “I’ll love you no matter what problems life throws our way. You’re my _amor_.” 

Leo smiled at the word in his native tongue. Guang-Hong had been making the effort to speak Spanish and it sounded adorable with his light accent. He held gazes with Guang-Hong, and it was as if the other’s gaze drew his sentiments out of him. Leo fought the tears as valiantly as he could before he felt himself break down in tears. Guang-Hong helped him up gently and sat next to him. Leo fell into his arms and let Guang-Hong hold him. 

“Why did you let him?” Guang-Hong asked quietly.

“He needs his hands to work, Guang. If he can’t work, Athziri can’t go to school. If he can’t work, we’ll have less money. If he can’t work, our problems will be worse.” All his emotions he had been bottling up came forth at once. His fear, anger, anguish, pain. Everything flowed out of him until he couldn’t stop crying. “I’m sorry,” Leo cried. “I shouldn’t be this weak.”

Guang-Hong was silent as he held him, cradling him strategically so he wouldn’t put pressure on where he was hit. “You’re not weak for crying, Leo. Ever since we were born, crying is a sign that we’re alive. Babies who cried the loudest were the strongest.”

“We’re not babies anymore, Guang-Hong,” Leo said a bitterly. 

“No, we’re not,” Guang-Hong cupped Leo’s face and forced him to look up at him, “But we’re still human. We’re human and we feel things. Pain is one of those things. Suffering is one of those things. Tears are an indication of feeling.” Guang-Hong kissed away a tear that formed at the corner of his eyes, “It’s okay to cry once in awhile. So you’re not bottling up emotions.” 

Leo buried his face in Guang-Hong’s shoulder, ignoring the pain that stung his cheek and cried some more. His boyfriend held him tightly and let him cry. Time seemed to vanish around them as Leo let out his sorrows.

He cried for more reasons than he really knew why. He cried because he was hurting. He cried because he knew his family was dysfunctional. He cried because he had been taught to be strong all of his life and he couldn’t even do that. He cried because he knew that his parents deserved a stronger son in the house and while he tried to do his best, it wasn’t enough. He cried because he hated relying on Guang-Hong for his emotions.

But.

He cried because he had a boyfriend to cry to. He cried because he knew that Guang-Hong would take care of him. He cried because he was hurting for so long and it was so refreshing to finally let it all out. He cried because he somehow knew that no matter what else happened, he would be okay. His siblings would be okay. They would fight their way out if they had to.

That night, Leo cried until he fell asleep in Guang-Hong’s arm.

That night, Guang-Hong had to call his parents and explain why he couldn’t make it home.

__________

Leo didn’t see his father that next morning when he woke up. He woke up on the couch to the sleeping face of his boyfriend. His head lay on Guang-Hong’s chest, moving with the rise and fall of his chest. Guang-Hong was in an awkward half-sitting, half-laying position and his arms were around Leo’s shoulders. Leo had his own arms around Guang-Hong’s waist. He looked around and noticed the room to his parents' room was shut while his room was opened just a crack. Javier never liked the door completely shut.

After waking Guang-Hong with a kiss, Guang-Hong asked him how he was feeling while rolling his neck, hearing a couple of the joints pop. The duo had spent a couple of silent minutes in each other’s arms in complete comfort. Guang-Hong squeezed Leo tightly and pressed light kisses to his cheek. It was affection he desperately needed.

When they had untangled themselves, they almost instantly started bickering. Guang-Hong insisted on him being able to walk back home alone while Leo insisted on going with him. Guang-Hong pointed out that Leo was supposed to be getting ready for work. Leo bit his tongue bitterly and glared at Guang-Hong, who matched it. While he could be delicate and sweet, Guang-Hong could be the stubbornest asshole Leo has ever had the pleasure of meeting.

In a strange twist of fate, a text message vibrated Guang-Hong’s phone. Retrieving it from the coffee table, he unlocked it and read the message. His eyebrows shot up. “It’s Viktor.”

“What’s Viktor doing up at 5 am?” Leo asked. He trusted Guang-Hong enough to not cheat on him. Besides, Viktor was absolutely in love with Yuuri. Anyone with a mind and two eyes could tell. Except maybe Yuuri. 

“I don’t know but he asked me if I got home safe,” Guang-Hong chewed his lip in thought. “Would it be rude to ask for a ride home?”

“It’ll be a fair compromise. I can pay him gas money if he does,” Leo reasoned.

“We can both pitch in,” Guang-Hong looked up at Leo with a stern expression. Leo nodded in agreement. He didn’t want to push the argument any further.

After Viktor send a text agreeing to pick up Guang-Hong, Leo sent Viktor a thank you message. Viktor replied almost instantly, explaining how he had been up to talk his dog on a walk. Viktor was never one to resist his puppy’s pleading eyes. Leo smiled at the message before tossing it onto his couch. Maybe Viktor wasn’t such a bad person after all.

Guang-Hong let Leo lean on him and ran his long, slender fingers through Leo’s silky hair. He hummed soft lullabies to Leo, ones his mother had taught him in Mandarin and sung to him what seemed like a lifetime ago in Shanghai. He could tell that Leo was in one of his moods, and he couldn’t blame him. Leo had a rough life and dealt with many things that someone his age didn’t have to. Guang-Hong sometimes felt powerless. Nothing he could ever do would help Leo and yet he wanted to do many things desperately. He wanted to help Leo pay for his family’s bills, he wanted to help Leo take care of his siblings and he wanted to do Leo’s homework so he wouldn’t fall asleep at 2 in the morning. He wanted to do so many things for Leo but he couldn’t.

While Leo dozed off on his chest again, Guang-Hong let himself weep silently for his boyfriend.

__________

Leo trudged to the quad, feeling tired as ever. After stashing his skateboard in the water polo team room, he hurried over as to not let Guang-Hong wait too long. He woke when Guang-Hong shook him lightly and told him Viktor was here to pick him up. After holding him tight and kissing him softly outside his closed front door, he watched his boyfriend scurry away into Viktor’s gunmetal grey sedan. Leo made eye contact with Viktor, who nodded at him and smiled reassuringly. Guang-Hong waved from the window as Viktor pulled away.

Then, Leo turned and reentered his house to get ready for the day. He pulled on his work clothes, woke up his younger brother, and left to the kitchen to help his mother with breakfast. In the kitchen, his mother tried to pretend like everything was alright. She asked him once more if he would visit Junior, and joked around with him as she could. Leo didn’t say anything about the way her hand shook as she sliced tortillas. Leo’s mother didn’t say anything about his bruised eye. 

Leo pushed on. He took the Tupperware of _chilaquiles_ his mother handed him and placed it carefully in his duffle bag. He and Jaime stood at the archway of the kitchen and the living room, staring at their father. They both said goodbye to him. Jaime didn’t look up to meet their father’s eyes. Their father didn’t say goodbye. The duo were out the door as Francisco pulled up in his rustic pickup truck with the same gardening logo on the side. They tossed their bags into the back and climbed into their seats. Francisco did a double-take at Leo’s bruised eye and split lip but didn’t say anything. 

Leo mowed lawns and picked weeds out of the cracks. He cut the dead flowers and tossed them out, replacing spots where too many dead flowers had been cut with fresh flowers. His gaze lingered on the flowers for a little longer than necessary. He ran through his routines, getting through the day before returning to Francisco’s truck for his bags. After skating to the bakery, he heated up his food. _La panadera_ was horrified to see his beaten face and he passed it off as a rough water polo game he had played. She gave him several medicinal herbs, ointments and some bags of tea to help heal his bruises quicker. Leo thanked her and gave her a hug. She didn’t let Leo pay for the sweets he bought for Guang-Hong and Viktor.

He showered as quickly as he could in the locker room and was out of there the second he pulled on his shoes. When he neared their usual table, Leo spotted Yuuri, Phichit, and Viktor all sitting there already. A blonde-haired fellow Leo could only recognize as Viktor’s friend joined them. He felt his heart skip when he saw Guang-Hong but he furrowed brows when he saw him cradling a box and a steaming cup. 

“Hey, _amor_ ,” Leo said, plopping next to Guang. He placed a kiss on his cheek and laced their hands together. He then turned to his friends “Hey, guys, what’s up?”

“Leo, my man,” Phichit whistled, “You look like hell.”

“Just got back,” Leo muttered under his breath.

“Everything alright?” Yuuri asked, frowning. He reached out and ran his fingers over one of Leo’s bruises. Leo flinched. 

“It’s a long story,” Leo shrugged. “Here,” Leo pulled the bags that had Guang-Hong and Viktor’s _conchas_ in them. “I got these for you.”

“For me?” Viktor said as he took the bag. He peered inside of it and furrowed his brows. Yuuri glanced into the bag as well.

“You got them _conchas_?” Yuuri asked. 

Leo nodded. “Fresh outta the oven.”

“And your sports bag,” Phichit teased.

Leo snorted and waved his hand. “It gives it flavor.”

Guang-Hong set his bag of _concha_ on the counter and handed the box he cradled to Leo. “I made you _youtiao_ and brought you some ginger tea with honey.”

Leo was about to protest when he suddenly remembered what Jaime had told them on the bike ride home. Small gifts were Guang-Hong’s way of showing his affection. With his brother’s words ringing in his mind, he leaned in and kissed Guang-Hong’s temple softly. Guang-Hong smiled at him. “My mom also sent some medicine for you.”

“Hey lovebirds,” Phichit took a small piece of Viktor’s _concha_ and chucked it at Leo’s head. Leo was slightly offended. _Conchas_ weren't projectile weapons. “Let’s have a cookout.”

“A cookout?” Guang-Hong asked.

“Yeah, a cookout. I was watching food network,” Phichit began.

“I just got here and I'm already judging Phichit for the day for that comment,” Emil joked as he arrived at their table.

"I'm so _done_ with being attacked in this friend group," Phichit joked feigned hurt. “As I was saying before Emil _rudely_ interrupted me. I was watching food network and I saw these mouthwatering meat dishes. So let’s have a cookout.”

“Where would we have it?” Leo asked.

“We can have it at my house,” Viktor offered. “I have a pool too. Needs to be cleaned a bit but I can take care of that.”

“He’s gonna put Yuuri in daisy dukes and make him do it,” Phichit stage-whispered. The entire table burst into laughter as the Russian and Japanese teens turned several shades of red. After being smacked upside the head by Yuuri, Phichit half-assed an apology and continued to excitedly spout out plans about his cookout. Viktor asked if he could invite his cousin and suddenly, Yuuri’s eyes darted to Leo. Leo shifted uncomfortably but nodded. It was Viktor’s house. He couldn’t say no. In the back of his mind, he thought of Junior, sitting on a stiff bed in a cramped cell. 

“Leo,” Guang-Hong looked up at him and squeezed their interlocked hands. “Are you okay?”

Leo nodded and leaned in. He brushed their lips together. “I’m always ok with you around, baby.”

**Author's Note:**

> My poor Leo. 
> 
> Leo, unfortunately, suffers from a cultural role known as 'Machismo'. Machismo is hypermasculinity that is very prominent in Hispanic/Latinx culture. 
> 
> If you or anyone you know are suffering from Domestic violence or child abuse, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline (United States) at **1−800−799−7233** or visit http://www.thehotline.org/. Every call can save a life. 
> 
> The song associated with this chapter is [A Dios Le Pido by Juanes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMIaYXxLnUA). Yes Juanes is Columbian, not Mexican, but it's always a Latinx bop.


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